


rabbit heart

by meatballsintheimpala



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, F/M, Moving In Together, Relationship(s), Roommates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-16
Updated: 2016-08-16
Packaged: 2018-07-24 10:29:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7504801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meatballsintheimpala/pseuds/meatballsintheimpala
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There is a mysterious force which draws together those who constantly think of each other. Fools call it coincidence.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"You alright, sport?"

"It _hurts_."

"You're not gonna throw up in my hair or something, are you?"

"'M not sure…"

"Maybe you shouldn't eat so much. You're still a kid, y' know?"

"But I'm gonna be the Hokage! I gotta eat lots and lots of ramen to get big and— _ow._ "

Obito laughed as he hoisted the five-year-old further up his back, trying not to jostle him too much, and continued on his path towards the Namikaze household. He didn't know how he always got roped in babysitting Naruto, but it wasn't like he could have said no when Minato-sensei appeared on his doorstep that morning looking very distressed, with Naruto tugging restlessly at his Hokage haori.

Thus, Obito had to spend the day with his sensei's son, which of course involved a trip to Ichiraku.

Naruto had a rather large appetite for a five-year-old, which came as no surprise considering who his parents were — especially his mother — and the fact that the boy was as hyperactive as they came. The amount of food that was usually to be found in the Namikaze household was extraordinary.

The kid ate like a baby dinosaur. Sometimes Obito thought that he didn't even chew before he swallowed. He inhaled his food, especially when it was ramen. Obito found it really amusing to watch him eat as many bowls as he could handle before he began complaining about tummy aches.

Which was exactly the case this time.

The little hellion had managed to dig through seven bowls of Ichiraku ramen before his stomach gave out on him. As a result, Obito had to carry his sensei's son back to his house, lest he wanted to face Kushina's wrath for leaving her son unattended in his time of need.

Which he evoked nevertheless, because the moment the duo stepped foot inside the Namikaze household and Kushina saw the slumped form of her son on Obito's back, the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero smacked him upside the head, while retrieving Naruto.

"What the hell did you do this time, huh?"

Obito frowned, rubbing the sore spot where she had hit him. That woman had one hell of a left hook. "It's not my fault he wanted to eat seven bowls of ramen."

"And you're supposed to be an adult. If he wants to eat that much, you stop him, not buy him another round!"

"As if I can stop him! He's _your_ son."

"Mama…"

Both shinobi turned automatically to the five-year-old nestled in Kushina's arms. It was no secret that Obito's coddling rivaled Kushina's, and there had been a few instances where he had been called _mama_ from Naruto as well — and Kakashi never let Obito live those instances down. So, it wasn't that much of a surprise when Obito responded to Naruto's wailing as readily as his mother did. He was his favorite nephew, after all.

Naruto rubbed his belly while grimacing in pain. "'M tummy hurts."

"Poor thing," Kushina cooed, rocking him against her hip. "Mama's gonna make it all better now."

Obito watched with a sour expression as Kushina prepared her special herbal infusion that she proclaimed would cure everything from a stomach ache to a broken heart. He had been on the receiving end of that particular brew more times than he would like to admit, and it had tasted like death every single time.

It was no wonder Minato-sensei was married to her; he was probably the only one who actually enjoyed the poison.

He saw Naruto pout when his mom placed the steaming mug in front of him and ordered him to drink all of it. When Kushina turned to Obito, the boy made a very good impression of vomiting behind her back.

"So, apart from trying to give my son an ulcer, what have you been up to?" Kushina asked, earning a pout from Obito.

"Well, since it's been my first day off in a long time, I honestly just wanted to stay home and die."

"Sorry we ruined your fancy plans, then," she said, but her tone was unapologetic as always. "All of it, Naruto."

"Tastes bad," the boy grumbled, but under his mother's stern gaze, he obeyed.

"It's okay," Obito said, too amused by the scene in front of him. "I haven't seen Naru-chan in a while, so."

"Are you staying for dinner?"

Obito shook his head. "Nah, I promised Rin I'd pick her up from the hospital. She was pretty mad when I ran into her when I came back last night. Said it's been too long since we had a proper meal together. I think her right hook has improved; my arm still hurts."

Kushina laughed. "She's right about that, you know. Ever since you and Kakashi got into ANBU, we hardly ever see you anymore."

"You'd think you would have gotten used to that after _six years_."

"Well, I'm not. And neither is Rin. I know that she's busy in the hospital, but when we get together and there are two empty seats on the table, things get really depressing."

Obito sighed. "You know that's not my fault, right?"

"Do you think I'm _not_ giving Minato hell for that?" Kushina said. "But apparently, you two are his 'most valuable shinobi' and your track record is impeccable, which is why he can't help but trust you with all his top missions."

Obito grinned at the indirect compliment. Minato-sensei never held back his praise, especially when it was well-earned, but hearing Kushina relay it somehow gave the gesture even more gravitas. Ever since Rin had been captured during the war, and he and Kakashi had almost gotten there too late to save her from the Iwa shinobi, he had thrown himself into intense training. One brush with death had been enough; he was not planning to die anytime soon, which was why he had made it his goal to become one of Konoha's strongest shinobi.

He had been surprised with how easy it had been to rise through the ranks once he dedicated himself to it. Although he liked to say that it was solely his determination and hard work that got him where he was today, Obito knew that he owed a lot to the Uchiha potential that he apparently didn't lack. The clan still perceived him as an imbecile who talked louder than was appropriate and made a fool of his name, but he had stopped caring about the old geezers a long time ago. At least being in ANBU and working close to the Hokage had managed to get him away from their hungry claws. He had no desire to work in the Police Force; a black sheep amongst wolves was still a sheep, after all.

He was broken out of his thoughts when Kushina snapped her fingers in his face.

"Earth to Obito — are you listening to me?"

"Eh, sorry," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "Got lost in thought. What were you saying?"

Kushina shook her head. "You're just as bad as Naruto, I swear. It's like he can't keep his attention on something for more than three minutes."

The boy in question pouted at that, but he kept drinking his tea in quiet, making disgusted faces with every gulp.

It was fun to see such a hyperactive boy being so complacent in front of his mother. Although, Obito had to hand it to Naruto, Kushina was downright scary when she wanted to be.

"Anyway, I asked you if Kakashi is back yet."

"Nope," he said, getting up from his seat. "Which is why I'm gonna go and enjoy my personal space for as long as I can. See you later, okay?"

"I swear, you two are like an old married couple," Kushina said with a smirk. "Don't be a stranger, huh!"

"Promise!" Obito winked. "See ya, sport," he said, ruffling Naruto's hair on his way out.

"Bye, Obi!"

Kushina took a seat next to Naruto and glanced at the now empty mug in front of him. "See, it wasn't that bad."

Naruto managed to mask his discomfort for precisely six seconds, before he emptied his stomach on the kitchen table.

* * *

Obito wore a satisfied grin as he walked through the streets of Konoha. The village was always lively during this time of the year. The Tanabata Festival was coming up in a few weeks, and everyone was already preparing for it. The village was gradually being decorated with colorful strips of paper or fabric hanging from trees, windows, lanterns and so on. It was one of Obito's favorite times of the year.

It had been a while since he had some time off. Lately, he had found himself barely finishing one assignment before being sucked into another. He had deduced that the more seasoned an ANBU member you were, the more workload was dumped on you. And it certainly didn't help his case when his team had one of the highest efficiency rates in the whole organization.

Team Ro — he trusted them almost as much as he trusted Team Minato. It helped that its captain was none other than Kakashi. After they had decided to put aside their differences and work together during the war, their relationship had changed radically. Kakashi now treated him as an equal, and not as the crybaby ninja that he used to be. Their close partnership inspired respect to the two remaining members of their team — Yugao Uzuki and Tenzou.

Although younger than him and Kakashi by a few years, the two of them were as fierce and efficient as any other ANBU member. Tenzou, however burdened with a grim past in the hands of Orochimaru, was a kind-hearted young man who possessed the First Hokage's Mokuton. After Kakashi had managed to pry him out of Danzou's claws and pull him out of ROOT, Tenzou had quickly found his spot in their team. The man worshipped Kakashi like a god, and Obito loved to tease his best friend about it.

Yugao, on the other hand, was a kenjutsu specialist with a sharp strategic mind. She never disobeyed orders and she was as headstrong as they came. It didn't hurt that she wasn't hard on the eyes, either.

They were both very serious about their work, and their teamwork was flawless. It was no wonder that Team Ro was one of the elite units in ANBU.

However, the true star of their team was Kakashi himself. Kakashi had evolved a lot after the Kannabi Bridge mission. Once he had finally decided to get the stick out of his ass, Obito found that he wasn't that much of an asshole, after all. Pushing Kakashi out of the way of an avalanche of rocks and almost dying in the process had finally shaken the Hatake prodigy out of his cold-hearted demeanor.

Obito had been gravely injured in that cave, and if it wasn't for Minato-sensei, he was certain that he would have died that day. But, as per usual, the Yellow Flash had arrived just in time to save his student from being crushed by a giant boulder.

The raised skin marring the right side of Obito's face served to remind all of them of how close they had come to death that day. It had been a huge wake-up call for Kakashi.

Shortly after they had all returned home from the war, the two boys had moved in together. Obito was aching to get away from his clan, which was starting to take a sudden interest in him after he awakened the Sharingan, and Kakashi claimed that it was time for him to move back into his family's home. Seeing that it was too big for just one person, he had invited Obito to move in with him.

At the time, Obito hadn't given it much thought — if Kakashi was giving him a way out of the Uchiha compound, hell yeah he was going to take it. It was only later that he realized that Kakashi was feeling guilty about being the reason Obito had almost died in that cave.

It took him even longer to realize that Kakashi didn't want to be left alone with his ghosts anymore.

The Hatake home was not very flashy in itself. The Hatake had never been a huge clan, reduced to one family over the years, and ultimately to only one person. Thus, there was never a need for a manor. It was a small house near the stadium, with a living room, two bedrooms, a large kitchen and a courtyard in the back. It had nothing on the imposing dwellings in the Uchiha compound, but it was more than Obito could ask for — it was home.

Not that living with Kakashi had been easy, by any chance. Although the two boys had reconciled after the war, their friendship had been rocky at best. Kakashi was a stubborn bastard, and Obito was no better himself. He was disorganized and untidy whereas Kakashi was orderly — and borderline obsessive. Obito was clumsy and loud, Kakashi was quiet and angry. Their personalities clashed as frequently as their kunai did, but underneath all the fighting and the grumpiness, they had somehow managed to form a bond akin to brotherhood. Working together to refurbish the Hatake residence had done a lot to strengthen the bond between them. At the end of three very long months, they had moved in, and things had been going (almost) smoothly ever since.

Becoming partners in ANBU had helped as well. Kakashi was very distrusting, and so Minato-sensei had thought it would be best to group them together, at least for the first few months. Those months had turned into a lifelong commitment it seemed, and now they were not only living together but also working together on a daily basis.

Maybe people were partially right to call them an old married couple. They certainly bickered like one, on the field and away from it.

Despite that, things had started to change a few years back, when Kakashi found himself in a relationship with none other than Konoha's resident 'scary snake lady', as Naruto liked to call her — Mitarashi Anko.

It would be an understatement to say that Anko and Kakashi's relationship put a damper on his fine life.

Kakashi had always been an enigma as an individual. For as long as Obito could remember, he could never fully understand Kakashi. Although he was more approachable since the Kannabi Bridge mission, the way his mind worked was still a mystery. He had gone from being an uptight jerk who didn't think anyone worthy of his time, to a lazy prick whose tardiness rivalled Obito's, who read dirty novels in public and had a dark sense of humor.

Minato-sensei had been positively scandalized the first time he had seen one of his own teacher's erotic novels in the hands of Konoha's golden boy. He had snatched the offending material out of a very amused Kakashi's hands and promptly reduced it to ashes with a quick fire jutsu.

Obito, on the other hand, believed that this was Kakashi's true nature, and he was only now feeling comfortable enough to reveal it to the world. After the war, most of the shinobi of their generation had climbed through the ranks and emerged as respectful veterans. They had pulled through the bloodiest war in the history of the shinobi world and they had survived; they were messed up, broken and scarred, but they were alive. The world had no more expectations of them.

This new kind of freedom assisted in the development of what Obito liked to call the new Kakashi. The superior attitude had been replaced with cunning comments; the stiff demeanor with dirty jokes. Kakashi was almost human these days.

Of course, this change in attitude would inevitably bring about a change in latitude as well. Apparently the inappropriate jokes and sly comments were a façade for an even dirtier mind. Said mind had thrived when it came in contact with Anko.

Obito wasn't sure about the exact time Kakashi and Anko started their relationship, but he assumed that it was around the time Kakashi had picked up a particular interest in sealing. The seal on Anko's cursed mark — a gift from her former mentor, Orochimaru — was one of Kushina's own, an Uzumaki clan special. Kakashi had been interested in studying the secrets of the Uzumaki sealing techniques, and Anko was a live representation of one. Between study sessions and late nights at the Academy, Obito assumed that they had found some time to hook up.

At first, Obito had been more amused than scandalized. He was happy for his friend — after all, Kakashi was decidedly not a stable individual; it was a wonder that he had managed to find a person to even consider entering a relationship with him. Besides, Kakashi having a romantic relationship with someone meant that he would be out of Obito's hair more often than not.

However, Obito hadn't counted on Anko being as nosy as they came, and with an uncanny ability to get under his skin to boot. Over the years, he had put up with several instances of harassment, had to deal with her snakes roaming around his place on more than one occasion, and of course, had walked in on the two of them engaged in sexual activities of various kinds multiple times.

Obito had been pushed to his limits countless of times over the course of Kakashi's relationship with Anko. But he usually had to stand down and swallow his snarky remarks because, _damn it,_ Kakashi was genuinely happy for the first time since Obito had met him back in the Academy, and he would be damned if he let anyone — including himself — take that away from him.

He would support Kakashi's choice no matter what, even if it meant trouble for him more often than not.

However, Kakashi was currently out on an escort mission, which meant that Obito could actually enjoy some time by himself, away from life-partners and their scary girlfriends.

He hummed as he climbed the stairs of the Hatake home. The cicadas on the surrounding trees were being very loud, their song buzzing in his ears, so much that he didn't even hear the lock disengaging when he turned his key.

He was very preoccupied with thoughts of where he should take Rin for dinner — it had to be nice since it was going to be just the two of them — so much that he didn't even register the gasps that were coming from the kitchen, until he came face to face with Kakashi and Anko humping on the kitchen counter.

"Oh my God, _seriously_ , guys? I eat here!" Obito grumbled, sealing his eyes with his hands and turning around, although he doubted that he could ever burn the image from his mind.

He heard the rustling of clothes and groaning, followed by a string of very colorful swear words — courtesy of Anko.

"Great timing, dipshit," she growled.

"Well, excuse me, this is _my_ house, too," he barked back in annoyance, not deeming it safe to lower his hand from his eyes yet. He turned to where he guessed Kakashi was standing. "Weren't you supposed to be on a mission?"

Kakashi shrugged, pulling on his shirt. "Got back early."

"And you just had to go at it in the kitchen," Obito complained, removing his hand from his eyes when the rustling of clothes was over. "What's next? My room?"

A look passed between Kakashi and Anko and Obito was instantly alarmed.

 _"Oh, come on!"_ he yelled in exasperation, making a bee-line for his room to check if everything was in place. He had zero trust in either of them when it came to staining his private quarters.

After a quick inspection revealed that they had been simply messing with him about using his room for their dirty purposes (he wasn't a hundred percent convinced, but), Obito grumpily returned to the kitchen to find Anko sitting on the counter they had previously been having sex on and Kakashi casually cutting up some fruit. They didn't seem the least bit ashamed of having been caught red-handed just mere moments ago.

That was another thing that bothered him tremendously — they were both utterly and completely shameless.

He shot them the appropriate glare and reached for a bottle of water from the fridge. He watched from the corner of his eye as the two of them casually ate up the sliced fruit — Kakashi's mask was oddly absent. Obito distinctly remembered a time when he was so intrigued by what his friend was hiding under that mask. By now, he knew that it was mostly habit rather than trust issues that made Kakashi keep it on at all times.

"So why are you back?" he asked after his initial anger had boiled down.

Kakashi shrugged and popped a slice of peach in his mouth. "The daimyo wrapped up the meeting earlier than we expected."

Obito snorted. He had first-hand experience on feudal lords' meetings and they were boring as fuck. The majority of them was spent on drinking tea and exchanging pleasantries, and even when they got to the core of the meeting, it was a challenge not to fall asleep due to the mundanity of the conversation.

"They're really working themselves to the bone, huh."

"Keeping the countries on the straight and narrow," Kakashi replied snidely. He gestured to the plate by Anko's thigh. "Want some?"

Obito looked almost offended. "Not a chance. I'm not touching anything that you two have touched for the next three days. In fact, I'm sterilizing the kitchen _tomorrow_."

"Lost cause," Anko provided with a sly grin.

Obito scowled at her. "Don't you have a place of your own? I bet you could have lots of fun there."

"But there's no you there, _Obito-kun,_ " she said with a suggestive wink.

"Kakashi!" he hissed in horror at the nickname, but Kakashi was laughing. "Put a leash on your girlfriend!"

"Tried it — didn't work."

The sultry look that passed between the two of them wasn't lost on Obito. He face-palmed. "Oh my God—that's it, I'm leaving."

"Don't you want to have dinner?" Kakashi inquired.

"With you two? No, thank you. I'm picking up Rin after her shift."

"So, you finally managed to convince her to go out with you," Anko teased. "Didn't think you had it in you."

He flushed like a tomato. "I don't know what you're talking about. Why would I ask her out? You don't know what you're saying."

Kakashi chuckled. "The crush you've had on her since we were kids has nothing to do with it, I'm sure."

"There is no crush!" Obito hissed and stomped out of the kitchen.

"You're pathetic!"

* * *

"Obito?"

He raised his head from his hands just in time to see her coming down the hall.

"Hey, Rin," he murmured tiredly.

"Are you okay?" Rin asked, running a quick visual check on him with the trained eyes of a medic. "You look... well, like shit."

He waved her off and stood up. He had half a foot on her, but it never failed to amuse him how powerful she seemed in her small stature. "Just tired. I had to babysit Naruto."

"Oh," she said as they started on their way out of the hospital. "I thought it was your day off."

"It was supposed to be. But there is no day off in the eyes of a busy Hokage with a hyperactive kid. Plus, he had promised Kushina he would take Naruto off her hands for the day so that she could actually work on some seals."

Rin shook her head. "I don't think sensei realizes that Kushina is not just dumping Naruto on him; she wants them to spend more time together. She told me that Naruto is getting mad that he can't see his dad whenever he wants."

"When I become Hokage, I will have a daycare room in the Hokage Tower so I can pop in and see my kids whenever I like," Obito boasted.

"Already thinking about kids?" Rin teased and he shook his head almost violently.

"God no. Not for at least another five years. Can you imagine me raising a kid? I would probably leave it in the laundry basket or something."

"Nonsense. I'm sure you'll be a great dad when the time comes," she said. Her gaze left Obito to take in their surroundings, and she realized that they weren't heading to Ichiraku. "Hey, where are we going?"

"I thought we could go to Shushuya for a change," Obito answered. "Never thought I'd say this, but I need a break from ramen."

Rin simply laughed and followed his lead through Konoha's busiest street and towards the restaurant of choice. Shushuya was one of the most popular places in Konoha; it was Jiraiya's first stop whenever he came back to the village, and it was quite popular amongst foreigners as well. It was fancier than Ichiraku and offered gourmet as well as regular food and sold their own brand of sake. It wasn't usually Team Minato's place of choice to eat, but she supposed that Obito liked to fancy it up from time to time. One could only handle so much ramen when they possessed no Uzumaki stomach, after all.

Shushuya was crowded as usual, despite it being a weeknight, but they managed to find a small table for two close to the bar. Rin's senses were immediately assaulted with the smell of alcohol and smoke, as well as the delicious scent of roasting meat. She privately applauded Obito for his choice. She could use something other than ramen as well.

They were mostly quiet as they ate their yakitori and sipped the house sake, which was strikingly odd. Rin was not a quiet person, although she was reserved at times, and Obito was decidedly a blabbermouth — and an incurable gossip to boot. To have him sitting there quietly eating his dinner was an extraordinary scenario.

When they were both done with their dinner and Obito had still not made any move towards conversation other than some brief comments on random stuff, Rin decided to take matters into her own hands.

"Okay, spill it," she said decisively, pinning her gaze on him. "What's wrong with you?"

"Me? N-nothing's wrong! I told you, I'm just a bit tired!"

She would have normally bought that, if it wasn't for his complete distractedness throughout the evening and his terrible lying skills.

"Obito," Rin started gravely, using what Obito had come to call her 'medic voice'. "I haven't seen you in two weeks. You brought me here to have dinner and yet you've barely said a word to me the entire evening. Usually you talk so much that my ears are buzzing by the end of the night."

He pouted like a puppy. "I didn't know I was that annoying to you."

"You're not," she assured him. "But sometimes I really don't need to hear all the gossip that's going around in the village."

"It's not my fault that I know stuff! I guess people just feel comfortable enough to talk to me about this and that. It's not like I ask them to tell me gossip, they just do."

"And I'm sure you're not enjoying knowing everything that's happening," she teased, making his ears burn red.

He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "That's irrelevant."

Rin shook her head at his antics. However, Obito's quirky remarks weren't enough to sidetrack her from her goal.

"So, given that normally you can't stop going on about anything and everything, I think it's safe to assume that there's something on your mind tonight. Was it your mission? You said it was a success."

Obito's shoulders slumped, as if he had just remembered the reason for his bad mood in the first place. "No, it's not that."

"Did someone get hurt?"

"No, we all made it back fine."

"Did something happen with the clan?"

"As much of a pain as they can be, no. It's not the clan."

"Did Naruto say anything to you? You know you're not supposed to take him seriously; he's just five."

She remembered the last time Naruto had been a bit more lax with his tongue regarding Obito. She couldn't recall exactly what had been said, but it had wounded the Uchiha's pride and kept him sulking for at least a week.

"No, Naruto was actually obedient this time. Sure, he had more ramen than he could obviously take, which earned me a slap from Kushina when I dropped him off, but the brat was good in general."

"Then what's on your mind? Come on, Obito, I know that I'm an insightful person, but I'm not a Yamanaka. You have to tell me when something's bothering you." She paused then, looking up at him from under her eyelashes. "Did I do something wrong?"

That seemed to do the trick. Obito had always been receptive to her mind games; it was true, she was no Yamanaka, but she didn't need to be in order to coerce Obito into spilling his secrets. His childhood crush on her notwithstanding, he was still very much hopeless when it came to complying with her wishes.

"No, of course not!" he exclaimed, all his usual extravagant gestures following. "How could you have done something wrong? No, Rin, you—it's not—"

Obito sighed deeply, dropping his eyes on the table and contemplating whether or not he should tell her what was going on in his mind.

"Obito?" she asked gently and he took a deep breath.

"It's Kakashi."

Rin raised her eyebrows in question. "Did you two fight?"

"No, it's—" He ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. "It's not Kakashi per se. It's more like Kakashi's… affiliations."

"You have a problem with Gai? I didn't know he was even in the village. Didn't he go on a training trip to the Land of Tea?"

"No, not Gai," he said, lowering his voice and speaking the name like a venom, " _Anko_."

"I'm afraid I don't understand, Obito. What problem could you possibly have with Anko? I know she's a bit eccentric, but—"

" _A bit?_ " Obito said incredulously. "Rin, she's been propositioning me to have a threesome with them!"

It was probably not the best idea to be taking a sip of her sake at that point. Rin coughed uncontrollably as the liquid went down the wrong way, and Obito had to reach over and pat her in the back.

When she had somehow recovered, she said, "I'm sure she's just joking, Obito."

Although Rin wasn't so sure herself anymore. It was no secret that Anko was very libertine, and Kakashi had apparently blossomed into one as well in the past few years—it was one of the reasons they had clicked together in the first place. But sometimes it was hard to decipher where the dirty humor ended and honesty began. Usually she didn't even want to know.

Obito frowned. "That's not even half of it. They're crossing all the lines, and we didn't have that many in the first place. When I got home today, they were screwing—in the kitchen! _My_ kitchen! On the counter! Where I _eat!_ "

Rin opened her mouth to somehow counter him—she had to, if she wanted to calm him down and make him see reason, although she supposed that reason was one thing she couldn't apply to Anko and Kakashi's antics—but Obito was on a rant.

"The other day I found handcuffs in my room— _my room_! And I've told Kakashi a million times that I don't care what they do as long as they steer clear of my stuff, but does anything I ever say hit home? No!"

She watched him quietly as he went on. His face was red as a tomato by now.

"Not to mention all the times I've walked in on them. I'm an adult, I get it; they want to have sex all the time. I'm cool with that. But a bit of respect for the roommate he shares his house with would be appreciated! I've seen Anko naked more times than I've seen any of my own girlfriends!"

Which were actually two, if he could even call them that. Unlike Kakashi, he hadn't lucked out in finding one person who would stick with him for more than a few months.

"Okay," Rin spoke up when it was evident that he was slightly calmer. "I think you might be overreacting a bit."

Fury flashed in his eyes; for a moment, she swore she saw red shine in his irises. "They use my room as their sex dungeon! I'm NOT overreacting!"

"Alright, alright," she said, raising her hands up in surrender. "You're not overreacting. But still, you have to cut them some slack. They're twenty-one. They want to fool around; it's normal that they take it a bit too far sometimes."

"No, no, no, no," Obito interrupted. "I don't care if they fool around. They can do whatever they want with their sex lives—I don't care. But when it starts to affect me personally, I can't turn a blind eye."

"Come on, Obito, is it really that bad? I'm sure you're just accumulating every past event right now because you're mad."

"It's not just that, Rin. I'm not even comfortable at my own house anymore. I don't know if Anko's entirely joking, but it's come to a point where it's scary. And Kakashi just joins her—that's even worse! If I get propositioned one more time, I swear…"

"I think you just need some time to cool off. You're probably upset because it was your day off and you didn't get to relax like you wanted to. I'm sure you'll change your mind when you calm down."

"That's just it, I _am_ calm. I could brush it off if it only happened once or twice, but this is a regular occurrence we're talking about. I could deal with it if it was just a fling that would go away. But they're _serious_. I don't know how the hell that happened, but it's not just a sex thing. They're actually fucking in love with each other and this is not going to go away."

She knew that already. However weird their friend's relationship with Anko might have seemed to the outside world, it wasn't difficult to see that the two of them genuinely cared for each other. Both Kakashi and Anko shared tragic pasts, and she knew that this was part of what brought them together. Moreover, they balanced each other out. Kakashi was usually quiet, mellow and cool, whereas Anko was loud, boisterous and flamboyant — kind of like Obito. For the people who didn't know them, it was easy to miss the small gestures that betrayed their true feelings, but Rin had been around them long enough to be able to spot the signs when she saw them.

Obito's sudden gasp broke her out of her thoughts. She looked up just in time to see his eyes widening in horror. "Oh my God, Rin—what if they get married? What if they have _kids_?! What if those genes get passed on to them and then we have another generation of Anko—combined with Kakashi's DNA! The world is not ready for that! And frankly, neither am I!"

Rin was tempted to laugh at him at this point. "What are you going to do then? Drive a wedge between them so that they break up?"

"I don't know," he grumbled. "Maybe I should move out, get a place by myself. Two's a company, but three's a crowd. A _really_ _bad_ crowd."

He buried his face in his hands. "But I don't want to live alone. I've been living with Kakashi for years now and I'm used to it. He may not be the best roommate, but he's there. He makes noise, even though that's usually accompanied by Anko. I can't stand the silence."

She smiled at that. It was a wonder that Obito had been born into the Uchiha clan at all. Where most of the Uchiha were calm and collected, colorless and indifferent, Obito shone as bright as the sun. He was loud and expressive, and the quiet was definitely not his friend. She often wondered how he managed to excel in ANBU, a unit whose foundations were based on stealth and silence.

It was also a wonder that neither the clan nor the ANBU had managed to change him at all.

"Why don't you come live with me?"

"Huh?" His head shot up and he looked shocked at the blurted out proposal.

"Well," Rin started, fighting the urge to twiddle her thumbs. "You are not comfortable with Kakashi's... _sexual endeavors_ and my apartment is too big for one person. You know that my cousin moved out last month and I have a room to spare. I was actually thinking of putting up an ad for a roommate one of these days because my economies are already taking quite a blow with the bills and all."

Obito eyed her carefully. "Rin, are you sure about that? I don't want to impose on you or anything."

She levelled him with a stare. "Obito, we have been friends our entire lives. I know you and Kakashi better than anyone. Do you really think I would ask you if I wasn't serious about it?"

Obito pursed his lips in thought. "I don't know. I mean… you're probably right. I'm probably overreacting. They're not _that_ bad. I'm just… accumulating, was it? Yeah. I guess I could…"

He trailed off abruptly, and Rin looked confused by the look of terror that spread on his face. Following his line of sight, she saw a very familiar pair making their way towards their table.

"Hey, sweetcheeks!" Anko's voice cut through the air and Rin saw the color drain from Obito's face.

He turned to her, his expression serious and horrified at the same place. "I'm in. I'm _all in_."

Rin couldn't help but chuckle at his misery as their two friends sat down next to them, with Obito yelping when Anko's hand trailed up his thigh.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Obito huffed in annoyance, rolling over in his bed so that he was lying on his back. He had been twisting and turning for four hours, and there was still no sign of sleepiness on the horizon.

After Kakashi and Anko’s abrupt appearance in the restaurant, the four of them had continued their drinking in _The Dancing Leaf_ , one of their regular bars. He had taken extra care to sit as far away from Anko as possible, and luckily for him, the night had gone smoothly. They had decided to call it a night at around two, and after dropping Rin off to her apartment, the three of them had headed to the Hatake home.

Oddly enough, Anko and Kakashi must have gone straight to sleep, because Obito couldn’t hear any suspicious noises from Kakashi’s bedroom that would indicate otherwise.

However, the silence surrounding the apartment only made things worse for him. He hadn’t drunk as much as he usually did during those outings, and his mind was clear as ever. Which is why it kept him from falling asleep, as it was mulling over Rin’s proposal over and over.

What had compelled Rin to ask him to move in with her? Sure, they were teammates and the best of friends, but he was still a guy. Wouldn’t she be uncomfortable living with him? He knew that he was messy and clumsy, and he didn’t want Rin to feel compelled to clean after him. He knew how girls were with order and hygiene; what if she found him too messy to live with?

Also, what if she just offered on the heat of the moment, because he was too stressed at that particular time? Rin was one of the most compassionate people he knew; he wouldn’t put it past her to take him in simply because she was feeling sad for him. But as nice as that might have been, he didn’t want to impose himself on her like that. It was his problem that Anko and Kakashi were getting on his nerves. Rin didn’t need to be involved in any of that.

Furthermore, there was the issue of his ever-present crush on her. Although after so many years, he could confidently admit that is was not a crush anymore. He loved Rin wholeheartedly, even if he had never decided to act on those feelings, in fear of destroying their otherwise perfect friendship. He had been content with keeping those feelings to himself and just being her best friend for years, but sharing quarters with her might threaten to make them overwhelm him once again.

And what about him? His past relationships had never even come close to getting as serious as to move in with them. He loved Rin, but didn’t this living arrangement automatically put a block to either of their future sexual endeavors? He knew that Kakashi had no issues with him bringing a girl home — not like he had any right to, after all the times Anko had been over to their place — but was he supposed to bring a girl under the roof he would be sharing with Rin? Wasn’t that considered crossing a line?

And holy shit—what if _she_ brought someone home? Surely his poor heart wouldn’t be able to handle that.

“Ugh, this is so confusing!” Obito groaned into his hands. It didn’t seem like he was going to find a solution to this issue anytime soon. And if there was one thing Obito despised, it was being at a loss.

Throwing the covers off and scrambling to his feet, he decided to go to the one person who always had the answers.

* * *

 

Minato decided that he was in a good mood as he walked to his office in the Hokage Tower.

It had been only a few weeks since Naruto had started attending the Academy, and he could already see the changes in his son. Sooner than any of them would realize it, he would graduate, become a genin and get out from under his parents' wing. It was enough to bring a sense of nostalgia to Minato's heart. His boy was growing up so fast.

On the other hand, Kushina had been rather pleased that he had taken Naruto off her hands for half of the day — not so much when he had decided to drop him off with Obito, which resulted in ramen overdose and throwing up all over the place — _and_ managed to get home relatively early to spend some much needed quality time with his family. It was no secret that he had been too busy lately with Hokage duties and things had been strained between him and his wife and son.

But he had managed to slightly placate both of them the previous night, with spending a couple of hours teaching Naruto about chakra and then devoting himself to pleasing his wife for quite some time after the lights in their son’s room had gone out.

So, all in all, the Hokage was pretty happy as he prepared to begin his day. However, when he climbed the stairs up to his office, he hadn't expected to find one of his former students leaning against the wall waiting for him.

"Obito?" Minato asked, making the young man jump out of his trance. "What are you doing here so early?"

"Hey, sensei, I... uh... how’s life?"

Minato raised a curious eyebrow at him, then replied slowly, “Good.”

"That's great. I heard Naruto started the Academy, too. Congrats," Obito added, clearly stalling for something.

"Yes, he did. But you didn't have to come to my office first thing in the morning to praise my son, Obito. What is bothering you?"

Obito sighed in defeat. He didn't know why, after all these years, he still thought he could fool his sensei. "I... have a problem."

Minato nodded, opening the door to his office and letting Obito inside. He walked to his desk and sat down, gesturing towards an empty chair in front of it. "Let us solve it, then."

Obito plopped down, twirling his fingers on his lap. "Rin asked me to move in with her," he blurted out, making Minato sit up in surprise.

"I was not expecting that."

"Yeah, me neither."

"What would prompt such a proposal, Obito? As far as I know, you two are not romantically involved," _no matter how much both of you want to be_ , Minato finished in his head. Then, his eyes narrowed. "Are you?"

Because he would be _very_ upset if his two students, who had been crushing on each other since they were kids, had finally gotten together and he was the last to know of it.

"No, of course not!" Obito blurted out a little too quickly. "Why would we be? No, uh... no, we're not... eh... _romantically involved_."

Minato relaxed, leaning back in his chair. "Then, why did she ask you to move in with her?"

"I, uh, _may_ have told her that I couldn't live with Kakashi any longer and that I absolutely had to get out of there, pronto."

Now Minato was even more confused. “I thought you and Kakashi were getting along just fine. You have been living together for years, after all, and you have the best teamwork in ANBU. What happened?”

Obito snorted. "You know who Kakashi is seeing, sensei. Is it really that hard to guess?"

Minato's face lost a significant amount of color. He knew all too well of his oldest student's relationship with Mitarashi Anko. He also knew that Kakashi was a closet pervert (courtesy of Jiraiya-sensei, no doubt) and that said kunoichi had helped him... _thrive_. Honestly, Minato was the Hokage, but even he was spooked by Anko. And to add insult to injury, Anko was actually on very good terms with Kushina — especially after she had sealed her curse mark.

"I see. I am actually surprised that you decided to move out just now," the Hokage said after a while.

“Trust me, I wouldn’t have if I hadn’t reached my limit.”

Minato nodded. He could imagine what Obito had to deal with throughout the years in order to finally reach the point of breaking, but he wasn’t feeling brave enough to ask for details.

"I don't see what the issue is, though. With Rin."

"Well, the thing is, I kind of already agreed to it, and now I'm thinking it wasn't such a good idea. I mean, what if we can't work it out? I've never lived with a woman before, what if I can't? What if everything I do is so obnoxious that she wants to kick me out but she won't want to say so, because this is Rin and she never complains, and really it was her idea, because she invit—"

"Obito," Minato's voice cut through his ramble. "If you don't want to live with Rin, you can just tell her. I'm sure she won't be mad at you for changing your mind."

"But that's the thing. It's not that I don't _want_ to, I just don't know if she can put up with me twenty-four-seven, and I don't want to be a burden to her.”

"I'm sure she has considered all that as well, Obito. Otherwise she wouldn't have asked you something so serious. Rin is a thoughtful girl, she doesn't do things she hasn't thought through first. But, if you have qualms, you can always decline. Our home is where we're supposed to feel comfortable at. If you think this will be stressful to you both, then don't do it."

"I don't know...” Obito said, his face scrunching up in thought. “How did you decide that moving in with Kushina was a good idea?"

He belatedly realized that those two situations were entirely different. After all, he and Rin were just friends whereas Minato and Kushina had already been dating for quite some time before they decided to move in together.

Minato crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, I don’t think I can answer that, given that the circumstances in your case are slightly different, but I'll tell you what I learned after living with her for a while.”

Obito unconsciously inched forward.

“Girls are not so scary. Sure, they have their peculiarities, but living with one is not as strange as you'd think. Despite the relationship you might share with your roommate, they are still a roommate, a person with their own habits and needs. You have to get used to a lot of things and tone down a lot of your own idiosyncrasies, but in the end, it's all about compromise. You can't expect them to take a step back every time, or feel complied to do so yourself. You have to meet in the middle. Balance is very important in any household."

Obito mulled over his sensei's words for a moment. He was right. He shouldn't worry so much about sharing his living space with Rin. After all, he had lived with Kakashi for more than five years and that hadn't been all sunshine and rainbows either.

It would take some time for them to adjust to each other's constant presence, but it would work out in the end. After all, they had known each other for most of their lives. If their friendship had survived missions and pain and blood and a war, it could definitely survive this.

"You're right, sensei. I guess I'm thinking about this too much."

"Of course," Minato beamed. "Out of the three of you, you were always the one more likely to stress over things."

The younger man laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head.

"Just talk to Rin about this. She's the only one who can placate your fears about it. Tell her how you feel, what troubles you, and I'm sure you'll be able to work things out."

Obito jumped out of his seat. "Alright, sensei. I will! Thanks for the advice."

"You're welcome," Minato smiled.

With a small wave, the Uchiha began to leave. However, after having made two steps, he turned to look at him over his shoulders. "Say, you don't happen to have any missions for me, do you?"

Minato laughed openly at that. Not two days had gone by since his last mission, and despite his usual grumping about not having any time off between missions, Obito was already begging for crumbs. "Not until you've sorted things out and have gotten a few good nights' sleep in you. I can't have you collapsing from exhaustion during a mission."

Obito snorted. "I don't see that happening anytime soon, sensei. Anko keeps letting her snakes roam the house at night. Not to mention the times I've woken up to find her trying to tie me up."

Minato shuddered. "Then I guess you better get to moving out."

“Don’t I know it.”


	3. Chapter 3

Obito strolled aimlessly around Konoha for two hours before finally ending up at the dango shop, to find Kakashi enjoying his morning coffee and reading Icha Icha sans Anko.

"I thought you were asleep," Kakashi said when Obito sat down across from him, looking even more disheveled than he had been a few hours earlier.

"I didn't sleep at all," Obito said, signaling for a coffee himself. "Not your fault, for the first time."

Kakashi shrugged and turned a page in his book. "Something on your mind?"

Obito stared at him. He had known Kakashi for the better part of his life, yet the way the other man’s brain worked was still a mystery to him. Was he oblivious to the way his and his girlfriend’s actions were affecting Obito? Or did he just not care? Obito could understand the latter, partially. Kakashi had always been an asshole, it was in his genes, but he was never completely inconsiderate. And in all those years of living and working together, Obito liked to think that they had formed a strong bond between them, one that neither would take lightly.

This thought brought him to another one that had been plaguing his mind ever since he had left the Hokage’s office that morning. What if Kakashi didn’t understand how suffocated Obito felt? What if he just thought it was normal for him and Anko to do all the things they did, disregarding his comfort? And if that was true, how could Obito tell him that he was moving out? Kakashi was an asshole, yes, but he was still his best friend, and if the past six years had been any indication, the Hatake prodigy had a heart. Which meant that it could break. And the last thing Obito wanted was to break his friend’s heart.

On the other hand, he couldn’t keep living there. He just couldn’t. It was a matter of preserving his sanity. Which he had come terribly close to losing in the past couple of months, courtesy of Anko. And besides, it wasn’t like he would be asking Kakashi to break up with her, thus ending their colorful romance, right? He wouldn’t be taking Kakashi’s happiness away. And, to be honest, if one of them had to go, it would be better if Obito did. Dealing with a broken-hearted Kakashi wasn’t on his list of things he ever wanted to do. They would still be working together, after all, and it wasn’t like he was _abandoning_ Kakashi, right? He just had to consider his own wellbeing, which was currently taking a colossal beating.

“Obito?” Kakashi called out when three minutes had passed and he was still lost in thought.

Obito jumped slightly at the intrusion and noted that there was a steaming cup coffee in front of him. And Kakashi was looking at him over his book, eyes glazed over with boredom.

"I'm moving out," he blurted out. _Like ripping a band-aid._

All he got was a raised eyebrow in response.

"I'm moving in with Rin," Obito added as neutrally as he could.

Kakashi watched him for a moment — which seemed like an eternity to Obito — before looking back to his book. "Any particular reason?"

"Nope."

"Alright," Kakashi said and Obito erupted.

“ _Alright_?! I'm telling you that I'm moving out from our place and all you have to say is _alright_?! You don't care why?"

If it was possible, Kakashi looked even _more_ bored than he had before. "What's the point in asking if you don't want to tell me?"

"I don't— _ugh_!" Obito huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want to hurt your feelings, but I forgot that you don't have any!"

"Uh-huh," Kakashi hummed. "So what is it? Anko?"

"What? How did you—" Obito scowled. "Son of a bitch, you _knew_."

"I would have to be blind to not see that she is driving you to your limits, Obito."

"Then why don't you stop her?" he exclaimed furiously.

Kakashi gave him an incredulous look. "What makes you think I _can_?"

"Oh, God," Obito face palmed. "She has you so whipped, man."

Kakashi shrugged nonchalantly, which vexed Obito even more.

"So you don't care that she's making me move out."

"I figured it would happen sooner or later. It was simply a matter of who would break first. And it's not like I can move out of my family's house."

“Bastard, I paid for that house, too!”

“And I promise to foot your rent for as long as it takes for me to repay you,” Kakashi said seriously, and Obito fell silent, staring numbly at his coffee.

Kakashi tilted his head to the side, an almost amused smile playing on his lips. "Don't tell me you were expecting us to grow old together?"

"Of course not!" Obito flushed and snatched his coffee, gulping almost half of it in one go and then coughing when it burned his mouth. Kakashi wordlessly signaled the waitress for some cold water.

“Then what?” he asked when Obito looked like he could use his tongue again.

"I just... I thought you valued the Bro Code a bit more than that,” he said and Kakashi sighed at the dramatic tone in his voice. "I thought you would at least _consider_ taming her before ditching me."

"I tried, trust me. But we both know how Anko is,” Kakashi offered casually. “And, frankly, I don't really want to change her."

Obito sported an expression between a hurt puppy pout and a disapproving frown. "So that's it. Six years down the drain—just like that. For a _girl_."

"I love her," Kakashi said simply.

"Don't say that!"

"It's true."

Obito looked even more embarrassed, if that was possible. "I know it's true, you asshole! It's just... you're not supposed to use that against me!"

"We could still live together," Kakashi proposed with a shrug.

"No," Obito growled. " _Absolutely not_."

"Then I'll see you at work."

"Fucking _shit_ —okay, alright! Just let me have my damn coffee in peace."

* * *

 

Rin was finishing making dinner when she heard a knock on her door. Taking the brewing pot off the stove, she wiped her hands in a towel and made for the door. She was greeted by a very disheveled Obito standing on the other side.

“Hey,” Obito greeted sheepishly.

“Hey,” Rin smiled and rested her cheek against the door. “What’s up?”

“I…” He licked his lips and straightened his back. “I’m sorry for the radio silence.”

Rin laughed. “Obito, I saw you _last night._ ”

“Really? Jeez, it seemed so much longer.”

“Did it?” she teased.

“Yeah,” he said with a blush.

“Do you want to come in?” she asked, gesturing to the interior of her apartment. “I just finished making dinner. There’s plenty for you, too.”

“I do, but I can’t.”

Rin looked at him in confusion. “Why not?”

“Because I want to tell you something.”

“And _this_ is the best place to do it?” she gestured at the hallway.

“Yes.”

Rin shook her head. After all these years, she had gotten used to Obito’s antics and knew better than to question them. “Be my guest, then.”

Obito took a deep, deep breath.

“I want to move in with you.”

“Well, that’s good,” she said with a smile but Obito held up a hand to silence her.

“Don’t interrupt me, Rin, please,” he said with a small voice, and she nodded dumbly in consent.

“I want to move in with you because you’re my best friend and the greatest person I know. And I know that you’re doing this because you would never leave a friend in need, but I need you to know that you don’t have to. I’m…”

Obito huffed, his shoulders slumping a bit and Rin thought he looked more like his ten-year old genin self than the grown-up ANBU that he actually was.

“I’m not the easiest person to live with, I know that. And I don’t want you to feel like I’m imposing on you. If you think this isn’t going to work, even for the smallest reason, then you’ve got to tell me. You don’t have to worry about me. Yes, Anko and Kakashi drive me crazy, but I can handle it — kinda. But I wouldn’t stand knowing that I would be doing the same to you.”

They regarded each other in silence for a moment, with Rin not being quite sure whether he had anything else to say on the matter and if it was alright to voice her own opinion just yet. However, Obito must have interpreted her silence otherwise, because soon enough he was rambling again.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry, Rin! I’m totally overstepping, aren’t I? You were just being nice yesterday and of course I didn’t realize that and took it seriously! I’m so, so sorry! Look, I’ll just go, okay? Just forget I ever said anything, alright? I’ll see you tomorrow or never or—”

“Obito,” she cut him off, her hand grasping his sleeve to prevent him from bolting. “I was being serious.”

“Oh,” he said quietly, his dark eyes wide and shocked.

A genuine smile appeared on her lips. “And you don’t need to give me a line of reasoning. You just have to say that you want to.”

“I want to,” Obito hurried to add.

Rin let go of his hand and pulled the door open all the way. “Then welcome home, roommate.”

Obito stepped cautiously inside the apartment, hands stuffed in his pockets awkwardly as Rin led him to the kitchen. His eyes scanned the place curiously. The living room and kitchen were adjacent and it looked way homier than his and Kakashi’s place. You could definitely tell that a woman was living there on a regular basis.

There was a sense of order in the place that didn’t have anything to do with Kakashi’s clinical order and years of being an ANBU operative. It was warm and cozy and everything he had ever associated Rin with. Obito wondered anxiously if there was any room for his chaotic disorganization here. It certainly used to drive Kakashi nuts, and he didn’t want to do the same to Rin—ever.

“Sit down,” Rin told him, pouring soup in two bowls. “It’s tomato rice soup. I hope you like it.”

He took a seat wordlessly and stared at the bowl she placed before him. He would have eaten shit if she had served it to him and he would have been thankful all the way.

“Rin, are you really sure—”

“Shut up and _eat_ , Obito.”

He didn’t know if that was her own killing intent he was feeling or if she was somehow channeling Kushina’s, but he figured he didn’t want to find out anyway.


End file.
